Successful Celebrity Marketing
Celebrities have this so-called ‘star power’ that grants them the ability to influence the masses in any way possible. These individuals have been using their ‘brand’ to promote various products and services for years now, which in turn, has helped numerous companies build brand awareness and generate better sales through these endorsements. From big budget commercial ads to social marketing campaigns, using a celebrity spokesperson to advertise your brand has resulted to some of the best marketing collaborations of all time.
Examples of Effective Celebrity Marketing
Some of the biggest brands in the industry capitalize on celebrities and their respective fan bases for many reasons. You see, celebrity marketing isn’t a fresh concept in the given field. Many companies have utilized this strategy as part of their marketing campaign for decades now, even before digital marketing came to be.
Listed below are examples of powerful celebrity marketing campaigns featuring some of today’s most popular artists:
1. Chevrolet ft. Ian Somerhalder, Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Norman Reedus, and Olivia Wilde
What’s better than having celebrities like Ian Somerhalder, Nikki Reed, Norman Reedus, Olivia Wilde, and Alec Baldwin crash your early morning college classes?
In this unique Chevrolet ad, celebrities posed as substitute teachers to inspire aspiring production students through an exclusive Q&A session. Some stars who were also a part of the campaign discussed the power of social media to encourage positive change in the world, while others had the opportunity to talk to students about a variety of topics, including television production, zombie apocalypses, and US history. Everyone was then asked to share about their experiences on social media through the hashtag #BestDayEver.
As a result, the celebrity campaign exceeded expectations and went beyond the marketing objectives of the brand. Apart from the 1.5 million likes and shares within the first 24 hours, students actively engaged with the said program and began sharing live content on their personal accounts using Chevrolet’s hashtag. The inspiring and hilarious moments were all captured on camera for the world to see, giving the company the attention it needed to raise brand awareness.
2. Calvin Klein ft. Justin Bieber
We all recognize the “Biebs” for his signature locks and bubble gum pop songs, but this all changed when the multi-award winning singer and songwriter became a spokesperson for Calvin Klein.
Justin Bieber’s Calvin Klein campaign was a game changer for the artist, with the #mycalvins campaign reaching a whopping 1.6 million Twitter mentions upon 48 hours of its release. Not only did it keep the Twitterverse buzzing, but the artist’s 2015 campaign with the brand also became one of the top trends on Facebook. This was certainly a smart move for the brand, as it helped increase apparel sales following the said endorsement deal.
Whether you’re guilty of catching ‘Bieber Fever’ or not, it’s hard to ignore the power and influence the Canadian singer has on the music industry, pop culture, and his fans.
3. Samsung ft. Ellen Degeneres and FRIENDS!
You would think that buying less than six minutes of airtime on one of Hollywood’s biggest nights was going to generate bigger sales for the given company, but in the case of Samsung and host Ellen DeGeneres, no amount of airtime could compare to the attention garnered by a single selfie.
The star-studded selfie featuring stars like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, and Lupita Nyong’o sent the social network on a frenzy when the picture broke retweet record on Twitter. This celebrity marketing stunt was taken with a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 during the 2014 Oscars, where comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres hosted the event. With over 3 million retweets in just two days, the snapshot made its mark in social media marketing history as one of the most impactful marketing moves of all time.
4. GUESS ft. Camila Cabello
It’s hard to explain why Camila Cabello as a spokesperson for GUESS is a match made in heaven, because it just is!
The former Fifth Harmony star and “Havana” singer made her debut as a solo artist with one of her first endorsements as an official #GuessGirl. Cabello brings in major appeal with a touch of the west while sporting the clothing company’s crop tops, bustiers, and signature jeans. As the fresh face of the brand’s 2017 campaign, Cabello’s beauty, confidence, and strength are the qualities that every Guess Girl should have. This was a campaign that helped launch the singer’s solo career, and the ad also gave the brand the attention it needed from the younger market.
5. Toyota ft. ‘Back to the Future’
“Fueled by Future” is the fourth installment of Toyota’s “Fueled by Everything” series, where actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd of the 1985 film Back to the Future introduced the brand’s hydrogen fuel cell electric car, the Mirai.
Toyota achieved not one, but two marketing objectives with this clever celebrity marketing campaign. Not only did the brand effectively educate the public on the future of automobiles, but the timely release of the ad drew in a lot of attention from the market. Reuniting for the 30th anniversary of the film, casting the movie’s original stars gave viewers a sense of nostalgia and joy over what was both an informative and interesting ad for the company. Sure enough, Toyota did a successful job in attracting audiences and sending the right message across.
6. Diet Coke (Coca-Cola) ft. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift and a room full of kittens? Surely the singer’s beloved cats, Meredith and Olivia, weren’t too thrilled to see their master surround herself with a different set of fur balls!
But to average consumers, seeing “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, “Love Story”, and “Shake It Off” hit-maker spend some quality time with more than a dozen of her furry friends is a mixture of adorable and relatable in one. The 33-second ad features Tay-Tay enjoying a cold bottle of Diet Coke while fooling around with a couple of kittens while her song “How You Get a Girl” plays in the background. Like the ad goes, “What if life tasted as good as Diet Coke?”
7. H&M ft. David Beckham
Did H&M know that their iconic collaboration with the Becks would leave women from across the globe swooning for the football legend even more? Yes, they did, which is exactly why they made the deal in the first place.
The Swedish super-retailer’s collaboration with legendary English football player David Beckham paved the way to the star’s Modern Essentials line for the brand. With a wide range of knitwear and slouchy-meets-tailored outerwear, the former footballer’s hand-selected clothing line is the perfect mix of classy meets urban. And as if that’s not enough, H&M even released a variety of ads featuring everyone’s favorite eye-candy footballer in his underwear, not to forget the jaw-dropping ‘bum clench’ inducing commercial that we’ll forever treasure. With all that and more, what more can you ask for?
8. Dodge ft. Will Ferrell
Casting an over-the-top comedian in your commercial ads is considered to be a bold move in the industry, considering how it could either be a hit or miss with audiences. But in the case of Dodge and funny man Will Ferrell, the hilarious collaboration brought in good publicity for both Ferrell’s film and the brand itself.
In the ad, Ferrell is dressed as his alter ego Ron Burgundy from the film Anchorman. Interestingly enough, telling consumers that the company’s brand new Durago is “360 times better than a horse” quickly hooked viewers to the wit and humor of the ad. The timing of this marketing campaign was perfect too, as the ad coincidentally aired just a few months leading up to the release of Anchorman: The Legend Continues.
9. Carl’s Jr. ft. Kate Upton
If the ladies can enjoy football star turned model David Beckham in his underwear, then we guess it’s only fair for the male majority to have their own share of raunchiness with Kate Upton’s steaming ad for Carl’s Jr.
Although the brand is known for its long history of male centric commercials featuring celebrities like Paris Hilton and Heidi Klum, seeing American model and actress Kate Upton indulge herself in a greasy yet seemingly delicious piece of burger is the answer to every man’s prayer. And just like that, Carl’s Jr. made headlines for yet another successful celebrity marketing campaign.
10. Weight Watchers ft. Jessica Simpson
Like many other celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Kirstie Alley, Jessica Simpson has been under so much backlash following her struggles with weight loss.
So we get it, you can’t blame a woman for gaining a lot of weight over the years, especially after carrying two amazing little humans inside of her. Filling yourself with some extreme (or otherwise peculiar) cravings is every pregnant woman’s safe haven. But what makes Jessica Simpson’s partnership with Weight Watchers so lovable is how we see the candid country singer in her own element: Jessica just being Jessica. Throw in a few other cute commercials with fellow singer Jennifer Hudson and the ad is an instant success.
Celebrity Marketing: The Pros and Cons
The great thing about celebrity marketing is that you don’t always need to invest much on a good ad. It’s usually about coming up with a good marketing campaign that can capture the hearts of a targeted audience. Not only can the presence of a celebrity endorser bring value to viewers, but it also makes an ad appear more glamorous than it actually is. Smaller companies with lower budgets often hire celebrities who aren’t blockbuster famous, but still popular enough to be recognized by the general public. On the other hand, companies that can afford A-list celebrities, like Mariah Carey, Ryan Reynolds, and Kendall Jenner, often go all out with their advertising campaigns.
However, there are a few advantages and disadvantages that comes with celebrity collaborations. For us to understand why celebrity marketing can be a bold move in business, let us discuss these ideas below.
Pros
There’s a reason why companies usually hire celebrities from a specific industry. For example, getting Stephen Curry and Rihanna to endorse your products allows you to tap two different markets all at once, namely the sports industry and the music industry. This widens the demographics for your campaign to strategically reach a more diverse audience. Choosing the right endorsers will also help you build a personal connection with your consumers, increasing the reliability and credibility of your brand.
Cons
It’s no secret that celebrity endorsements are extremely expensive, especially when collaborating with mega famous artists. There are also instances when a person’s star power overshadows the message of the given brand. Not only is it a complete waste of resources, but it could also lead to bad rep for the company itself.
Ultimately, you can learn a lot about business from analyzing various celebrity marketing campaigns. These examples prove just how celebrity endorsements can make or break your brand’s identity. So if you’re thinking about starting your own endorsement deals, remember to keep these successful celebrity marketing examples in mind.
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